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The oldest human mummies were slowly smoked 14,000 years ago Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:00:28 +0100 For at least 10,000 years, humans across South-East Asia were being carefully preserved after death by being smoke-dried – a tradition that continues to this day in some cultures

Modular nuclear reactors sound great, but won't be ready any time soon Mon, 15 Sep 2025 19:46:47 +0100 The UK government has announced a raft of tiny nuclear power projects, while Russia, China and a host of tech giants are also betting big on small nuclear reactor designs. Does the idea make sense and can they really be built any time soon?

Mars once had an atmosphere that was thicker than Earth's today Mon, 15 Sep 2025 19:00:37 +0100 While Mars today only has a wispy remnant of an atmosphere, it may once have had one hundreds of times thicker with a pressure three times that on Earth

What it’s like to run the world’s best dark matter detector Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:00:42 +0100 Chamkaur Ghag is on a mission to find the 85 per cent of the universe’s matter that we haven’t yet identified. He details his hopes for the major scientific experiment – and what the future could hold

Which perimenopause treatments actually work? Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:34 +0100 For women going through perimenopause, there is no shortage of advice on how to deal with the symptoms – but which strategies show real results, and which are social media hype?

We’ve glimpsed the secret quantum landscape inside all matter Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:00:16 +0100 A strange kind of geometry governs how particles move inside matter. Now, for the first time, physicists have uncovered its full shape – and it could transform how we design materials

Covid-19 vaccine benefits worth up to $38 trillion in first year alone Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:00:24 +0100 The global health and economic benefits of covid-19 vaccines came to between $5 trillion and $38 trillion in their first year, showing an incredible return on investment

Stealth radio hides signal in background noise to protect drone pilots Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:00:57 +0100 As drones have risen to prominence on the battlefield, so too has electronic warfare, in which adversaries attempt to mask, jam or trace radio signals. Now, a new stealthy radio device could help give people the edge, letting them fly drones without detection

The death of dinosaurs dramatically re-engineered Earth's landscapes Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:43:45 +0100 Changes in rock formations from before and after the mass extinction event 66 million years ago may reflect how dinosaurs acted as ecosystem engineers, shaping vegetation and even the meandering of rivers

Higher dose of Wegovy ups both weight loss and side effects Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:30:21 +0100 Trial participants who received an increased weekly dose of Wegovy lost 19 per cent of their body weight in a year on average, but also saw a higher risk of painful skin sensations and nausea

How to pick the right fertiliser for all your different plants Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 There are three key nutrients that all plants need – nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium – but in different amounts. So finding fertiliser that suits all your plants might seem tricky, but there is a simple solution, says James Wong

Alien: Earth adds surprisingly good TV dimension to veteran sci-fi Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 After fifty years of books, games and movies, what more could the Aliens franchise deliver? An inventive TV show, with fresh monsters and new heroes, finds our TV critic Bethan Ackerley

Is Earth’s climate in a state of 'termination shock'? Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:00:31 +0100 Cleaning up air pollution has saved millions of lives, but it has also given us an inadvertent taste of a nightmare climate scenario. The race is on to understand how bad it could be – and how to swerve the worst effects

Powerful images show dark side of South-East Asia’s fishing industry Thu, 04 Sep 2025 21:00:18 +0100 Photographer Nicole Tung captures the tough world facing South-East Asia’s fishers and their families in this series of images, which won her the Carmignac Photojournalism Award for fieldwork

Jaguar breaks records by swimming at least 1.3 kilometres Fri, 12 Sep 2025 18:00:59 +0100 A 1.3-kilometre swim by a jaguar is the longest ever confirmed, but the cat's motives for making the journey are unclear

Can a strange new treatment finally relieve chronic sinus infections? Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:00:19 +0100 Constant loss of smell, facial pain and a blocked nose are a reality for the 10 per cent of people living with chronic rhinosinusitis, a disease long-neglected by research. Targeting the nasal microbiome, though, is offering hope

Child obesity is now more common than undernutrition – what do we do? Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:57:48 +0100 Childhood obesity rates have surpassed those of undernutrition for the first time, suggesting efforts to combat malnutrition will have to shift gears.

Hedonistic habits could turn you into a mosquito magnet Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:00:55 +0100 A study of festivalgoers suggests that drinking beer and sharing a bed makes you more attractive to mosquitoes

Jupiter is smaller and more squashed than we thought Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:00:39 +0100 The gas giant has been measured for the first time in decades, trimming 8 kilometres from its diameter

DNA cassette tape can store every song ever recorded Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:00:34 +0100 By combining the information storage capabilities of DNA with a design inspired by a cassette tape, researchers have created a storage medium that can hold 36 petabytes of data

Matt Richtel grapples with how modern life is warping adolescence Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Not only are children starting puberty earlier, they face a digital world where, for good and bad, most of their interactions are internalised. How We Grow Up is scary, illuminating and hopeful, says Chris Simms

A weird cloud forms on Mars each year and now we know why Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:00:38 +0100 Astronomers have struggled to explain why a long and thin cloud forms above Mars’s Arsia Mons volcano each year, until now

Early Neanderthals hunted ibex on steep mountain slopes Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:00:35 +0100 Ancient remains from a cave in Serbia show that Neanderthals were hunting mountain goats 300,000 years ago, adding to evidence of their ability to adapt to different environments

Why simple tasks like charging your phone rely on quantum measurements Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:00:07 +0100 A hidden world of quantum metrologists ensure that everyday devices perform safely and correctly, but their work is never done

Exciting new research shows ways to defuse the "green backlash" Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 There is growing opposition to environmental policies around the world, but could researchers have found a way around this, asks Graham Lawton

Gravitational waves finally prove Stephen Hawking's black hole theorem Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:58 +0100 An exceptionally loud collision between two black holes has been detected by the LIGO gravitational wave observatory, enabling physicists to test a theorem postulated by Stephen Hawking in 1971

Exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have right conditions for life Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:00:50 +0100 The planet TRAPPIST-1e lies in its star’s Goldilocks zone, where water remains liquid – and an analysis suggests it might have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere like Earth’s

Not to worry, no giant radioactive wasps here Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Feedback remembers Godzilla, and feels a little nervous about the wasp nest found at an old nuclear weapons site in South Carolina

Britain's economy thrived after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:34 +0100 An archaeological dig in northern England shows iron and lead processing continued and even increased after the departure of the Romans

Deflecting a deadly asteroid just got a lot less dangerous Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:32 +0100 Our first attempt at shifting the orbit of an asteroid has provided crucial insight into how we could safely deflect a space rock that was hurtling towards Earth

Why your nose could be the perfect window into your mental state Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Diagnosing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can be difficult, but it turns out that your nose could help doctors understand when you are feeling the strain, says Gillian Forrester

Tim Spector's guide to fermentation is meticulous and persuasive Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 We know fermented foods do us good, but the ZOE founder's new book still surprises with fascinating facts - and avoids feeling like an ad for his gut supplements, says Helen Thomson

Antibody cocktail could work as a universal flu treatment Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:00:06 +0100 A mix of three antibodies seems to protect mice against several strains of influenza and could one day be useful against seasonal flu or pandemics

Even in our digital world, materials still matter Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Next to the flashy realm of AI, materials may seem quaint. But new quantum research could yield revolutionary breakthroughs, with the power to transform our world

We evolved to match local micronutrient levels, which may be a problem Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:59 +0100 Most human populations evolved to cope with low or high local levels of micronutrients such as zinc, but these localised adaptations might now be problematic

NASA hasn't found life on Mars yet – but signs are promising Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:45 +0100 A rock found last year on the surface of Mars offered tantalising evidence that life once existed on the Red Planet. Now scientists have found yet more evidence that could point to the existence of ancient organisms – but we can't know for certain without returning samples to Earth

Tiny structure in the brain could be driving how much you eat Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:14 +0100 A part of the brain that is about the size of a sunflower seed in people could play a big role in our food consumption

Asteroid Ryugu once had liquid water flowing through it Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:03 +0100 Samples retrieved from asteroid Ryugu indicate that it once had flowing water in far greater volumes than previously thought possible, suggesting that similar objects may have played a role in delivering vast quantities of water to Earth

Iridescent mammals are much more common than we thought Wed, 10 Sep 2025 01:01:22 +0100 It has long been claimed that only one mammal – the golden mole – has fur that shimmers with rainbow colours, but it now turns out that at least a dozen more mammals have iridescent fur too

‘Great Migration’ involves far fewer wildebeest than we had thought Tue, 09 Sep 2025 20:21:52 +0100 An estimate that as many as 1.3 million wildebeest move across the Serengeti Mara landscape each year has been cut down to size using AI

How cosmic events may have influenced hominin evolution Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:00:06 +0100 Some cosmic events could have profoundly altered the lives of our ancient human relatives. Did Neanderthals go extinct, at least in part, due to changes in Earth’s magnetic field? Did Australopithecus witness huge meteorite impacts?

Geoengineering is not going to save the poles from climate change Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:00:11 +0100 A review of the five main methods proposed for cooling down the poles or slowing the loss of ice concludes they are all wildly impractical, wouldn't work, or both

No, AI isn’t going to kill us all, despite what this new book says Mon, 08 Sep 2025 18:09:33 +0100 The arguments made by AI safety researchers Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares in If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies are superficially appealing but fatally flawed, says Jacob Aron

Resistance training may strengthen your gut microbiome Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:00:12 +0100 People who made the greatest gains in muscle power over eight weeks of resistance training also improved the balance of bacteria in their gut

Florida's anti-vaccine push leads dangerous shift for US public health Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:57:34 +0100 Florida may soon become the first state to end all vaccine mandates, including those for schoolchildren, setting the stage for deadly infections to make a comeback

Does this sculpted head show an ancient hunter-gatherer's hairstyle? Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:33:37 +0100 A carved figure found in northern France, dated to 27,000 years ago, may reflect how hair was styled in a culture that disappeared during the last glacial maximum

Quantum router could speed up quantum computers Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:45:04 +0100 A device made from superconducting qubits could prove a powerful technology for enabling practical quantum computing or more experimental propositions like quantum machine learning

The surprisingly useful mathematical patterns in some real-world data Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 From stock market prices to house numbers, certain collections of numbers aren't as random as you'd think, says Katie Steckles

We could spot a new type of black hole thanks to a mirror-wobbling AI Thu, 04 Sep 2025 20:00:52 +0100 The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) uses lasers and mirrors to look for black holes across the universe, and it turns out a Google DeepMind AI could make it even more sensitive

The futuristic new tech that could bridge broken nerves and mend minds Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:00:07 +0100 From flexible implants to circuits seeded with living cells, a new kind of electronics is starting to produce long-lasting implants with the potential to help everything from paralysis to hearing and vision loss

Why solar power is the only viable power source in the long run Wed, 03 Sep 2025 21:19:01 +0100 Not only is solar more than capable of supplying all the world’s energy, in the long term it is the only power source that won’t fry the planet

Is Neuromancer's cyberpunk dystopia still thrilling in 2025? Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 When it was first published in 1984, William Gibson's Neuromancer transformed sci-fi and instantly birthed the cyberpunk genre. Ahead of an upcoming TV adaptation, Emily H. Wilson revisits the prophetic novel to see if it stands the test of time

The crucial role of chaos in our brain’s most extraordinary functions Mon, 01 Sep 2025 17:00:26 +0100 That the human mind treads a delicate line between order and disorder is a radical idea that’s gaining traction - and is changing our understanding of intelligence, consciousness and creativity

The deadliest mushroom, the death cap, is still concocting new poisons Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:00:31 +0100 Surprising discoveries about the species responsible for 90 per cent of mushroom-related deaths is revealing the fungi kingdom to be even stranger than we had thought

Are farmed oysters, mussels and clams the ultimate green foods? Mon, 01 Sep 2025 17:00:52 +0100 You can feast guilt-free on farmed oysters and mussels as their production can have environmental benefits – but those probably don't include capturing carbon

Possible galaxy spotted by JWST could be the earliest we've ever seen Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:00:20 +0100 A possible galaxy named Capotauro may have formed within 90 million years of the big bang – but astronomers can’t be sure that’s what it is

Baby pterosaurs could fly right after hatching – but crashed in storms Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:00:28 +0100 Two fossils found in Germany show very young pterodactyls with arm bones thought to have been broken in flight, probably because of severe tropical cyclones

A modified hot glue gun can mend broken bones Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:00:14 +0100 A biodegradable glue that encourages bones to repair themselves can be applied during surgery using a hot glue gun, potentially offering a cheap and quick way to treat injuries

Sun-powered device extracts lithium without wrecking the environment Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:19:22 +0100 An experimental new method for extracting lithium from brine and even seawater promises to be more sustainable than existing methods

A single dose of LSD seems to reduce anxiety Thu, 04 Sep 2025 17:00:52 +0100 About half of people with generalised anxiety disorder don’t respond to common treatments with antidepressants – but psychedelics may offer relief

Birds dazzle and amaze in stunning new photographs Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Flamingoes, a kingfisher and two red-crowned cranes are shown in all their glory in these images from the new book Aviary: The bird in contemporary photography

L-theanine: Can a compound in tea lower anxiety and help you focus? Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:00:40 +0100 L-theanine supplements are touted for stress relief, focus and better sleep. Although the evidence so far is preliminary, studies suggest the compound may have several brain benefits

Nick Clegg says nothing at all in new book How to Save the Internet Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 During his time as a Meta executive, Nick Clegg witnessed some of the biggest decisions to ever affect the online world. But this collection of tired tropes offers little insight, says Chris Stokel-Walker

Liquid crystal lenses could make better bifocal glasses Thu, 04 Sep 2025 22:07:43 +0100 A prototype of bifocal eyeglasses uses liquid crystals and electric fields to switch between modes that aid in nearby and distance vision

Should it be space-time or spacetime – and why does it matter anyway? Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Seeking endorsements for her new book, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein finds herself staring at fundamental questions of space, time – and grammar

Early penguins may have used dagger-like beaks to skewer prey Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:00:22 +0100 Four new species of aquatic birds related to modern penguins have been described from fossils found in New Zealand, showing how these creatures flourished around 60 million years ago

We have run out of new visions of the future. This needs to change Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Societies can be united and inspired by ideas of the future. We urgently need more of them, argues futurist Sarah Housley

First map of mammal brain activity may have shown intuition in action Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:00:17 +0100 Scientists have mapped the activity that takes place across a mouse's entire brain as it decides how to complete a task - and the results could explain the origin of our gut feelings

What can psychoanalysis teach us about love and heartbreak? Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 In Love's Labour, psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz draws on 40 years of conversations with his patients about relationships. This compelling memoir is reminiscent of the writing of Oliver Sacks, says David Robson

Plant-based dog foods provide almost all the nutrients pets need Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:00:44 +0100 An analysis of a range of dry dog foods finds that none are nutritionally complete, but vegan and vegetarian foods compare well with meat-based ones

Smartphone scrolling on the toilet could increase risk of haemorrhoids Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:00:39 +0100 People seem to spend longer on the toilet if they use a smartphone while sitting there – and all that scrolling may be boosting their likelihood of getting haemorrhoids

We have let down teens if we ban social media but embrace AI Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Governments are looking to ban social media for children but can't get enough of AI – a technology parents are far less equipped to deal with

3D-printing could make it easier to make large quantum computers Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:00:39 +0100 As quantum computers get larger, they may become truly useful – 3D-printing a key component of some quantum computers may make it easier to build larger arrays of qubits to make them more powerful

We may have 10 times less carbon storage capacity than we thought Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:00:32 +0100 Storing carbon dioxide underground is seen as a way to mitigate climate change, but the world could run out of safe storage space within 200 years if we keep on burning fossil fuels

Queen ant makes males of another species for daughters to mate with Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:00:20 +0100 Bizarrely, Iberian harvester ant queens lay eggs that turn into male builder harvester ants, and some of her offspring are hybrids of the two species

Hepatitis B vaccine linked with a lower risk of developing diabetes Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:01:48 +0100 Being vaccinated against hepatitis B may reduce chronic inflammation levels in the body, which could help ward off diabetes

Rapamycin may extend lifespans by protecting against DNA damage Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:00:47 +0100 The drug rapamycin has been linked to a longer life and we're starting to understand how it might have this effect

Can we finally recycle all of the metal in scrap cars? Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:00:34 +0100 Scrap cars could be used to build new electric vehicles thanks to a new process for turning various aluminium alloys into a strong and mouldable metal

Steroids are everywhere on social media – but how dangerous are they? Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:00:10 +0100 From “trenfluencers” to complex drug regimens, influencers are reshaping how millions approach steroid use. Now, researchers are trying to catch up with what this means for our health

Take control of your brain's master switch to optimise how you think Wed, 09 Oct 2024 17:00:00 +0100 The discovery that a small blue blob of neurons, the locus coeruleus, controls your mode of thinking suggests ways to increase learning, creativity, focus and alertness

Just 1 minute of vigorous exercise a day could add years to your life Mon, 01 Sep 2025 18:00:52 +0100 People who do several very short bouts of strenuous activity each day are much less likely to die in the next few years than those who do no exercise at all

Spacecraft used to forecast solar storm 15 hours before it hit Earth Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:01:57 +0100 The Solar Orbiter spacecraft sometimes lies directly between the sun and Earth, making it ideally placed to analyse powerful solar storms that could damage electronic systems on our planet

The best new science fiction books of September 2025 Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:00:27 +0100 Authors including literary heavyweight Ian McEwan and big hitters John Scalzi, Yume Kitasei and Cixin Liu have new sci-fi novels out this month

Inside the revolutionary idea that we can negotiate with cancer Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:00:01 +0100 New research tapping into decades-old concepts is challenging the notion that the only way to treat cancer is to kill every last cancer cell. Instead, scientists suggest, we could try a little persuasion

We will soon be able to talk with other species. Which will be first? Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:00:49 +0100 Scientists have long and studiously avoided claiming that other animals have language. Now, using the power of AI, they are on the verge of deciphering one

The captivating story that Earth’s ‘boring’ layered rocks tell us Wed, 27 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Clues to our planet’s dramatic past are in the layers of rocks we might overlook. A great guide shows why they deserve our attention, says James Dinneen

An incredible Denisovan skull is upending the story of human evolution Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:00:38 +0100 An ancient skull has finally shown us what the Denisovans looked like. Now it turns out they, not Neanderthals, might be our closest relatives, redrawing our family tree and transforming the hunt for Ancestor X

Bespoke brain implant gives long-term relief from chronic pain Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:32:25 +0100 An implant that monitors brain activity and provides personalised stimulation halved the discomfort of people living with chronic pain

Volcanic eruptions may have helped spark the French Revolution Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:00:22 +0100 Social upheaval across Europe between 1250 and 1860 correlates with volcanic eruptions, reduced sunspot activity and surging food prices

Just one dose of psilocybin seems to be enough to rewire the brain Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:00:38 +0100 Psilocybin appears to alter brain networks linked to repetitive negative thoughts, which may explain how the drug helps to treat some mental health conditions

Get ready for a glorious Harvest Blood Moon on 7 September Wed, 27 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Sky watchers are in for a treat next month, says Abigail Beall, when there is a total lunar eclipse visible in much of the world

Hottest engine in the world reveals weirdness of microscopic physics Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:10:36 +0100 A tiny engine comprised of a glass bead zapped with electric fields behaves as if it is operating 2000 times hotter than the sun

Why are weather forecasting apps so terrible? Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:00:22 +0100 Weather apps regularly differ in their predictions for the same location – why is it so hard to predict local forecasts, and where can we get the best weather information?

Our verdict on ‘Circular Motion’: this dystopia hit too close to home Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:50:39 +0100 The New Scientist Book Club has just finished reading Alex Foster's sci-fi novel “Circular Motion”. We liked it – but there were calls for a bit more science in this slice of science fiction

Ursula Le Guin's son on why The Dispossessed is (maybe) his favourite Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:30:45 +0100 The New Scientist Book Club is currently reading Ursula K. Le Guin's classic science fiction novel "The Dispossessed". Here, her son Theo Downes-Le Guin considers the artistic process behind it – and why it still resonates today

Read an extract from The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:30:26 +0100 The New Scientist Book Club is currently reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic novel The Dispossessed. In this extract from its opening, we get our first glimpse of the planet Anarres

NASA's first space photos restored in stunning detail Wed, 27 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The new book "Gemini and Mercury Remastered" features iconic images from the earliest days of human space exploration

New book about the story of carbon dioxide is a rousing call to action Wed, 27 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The history of carbon dioxide’s role in life on Earth combined with a call to climate action makes for compelling reading, finds Chris Stokel-Walker

Go-to therapy for chronic sinus condition doesn't work that well Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:30:05 +0100 Surgery, not antibiotics, might be the best way to treat chronic rhinosinusitis, a condition that leaves people with a permanently blocked or runny nose and a reduced sense of smell

Will Australia's social media ban really keep teenagers safe online? Thu, 28 Aug 2025 23:00:14 +0100 Social media platforms will soon have to exclude children under 16 in Australia, but there are doubts over how age verification tools will work – and whether this is the right approach to deal with online harms